The date was August 19, 2013. As Tottenham’s Under-21 side prepared for a match against their Manchester City counterparts, the winger who had been with the club since he was eight was starting to wonder if his time at White Hart Lane might finally be up.

Andros Townsend had no desire to leave the team he has supported all his life, yet after nearly five months’ outstanding work in the Premier League for Queens Park Rangers, he was understandably eager for more.

Should Tottenham have decided to make Townsend available for transfer, there would doubtless have been plenty of interest in him. Then, an injury to Aaron Lennon meant Townsend was chosen for the Europa League tie away to Dinamo Tblisi, three days after that Under-21 fixture.

Townsend’s exceptional performance in Georgia made it impossible for head coach Andre Villas-Boas to leave him out. Far from wondering whether he has a future at Spurs, the 22-year-old is now one of his team’s most important players, has helped England qualify for next summer’s World Cup and been given a new four-year contract.

Newcastle visit north London on Sunday and it is a safe bet their manager, Alan Pardew, has spent a substantial chunk of his week wondering how to stop the speedy wide man. Townsend told Standard Sport: “I remember playing against City and even though I’ve never wanted to leave Tottenham, I was thinking: ‘Am I ever going to get my chance here? I’d got used to playing in front of big crowds for QPR and I was back at Spurs but not in the side.

“Unfortunately, Aaron Lennon got injured and the rest is history. Football can be a mad game but my story is about the importance of never giving up. One day, if you’re confident in your ability, you can get to the top.

Impact: Townsend has grasped his England chance
“I’m told some young players in England are using what’s happened to me as an inspiration, and it’s an honour to hear that. It’s tough breaking into the top four or five teams at the moment.

“You look at the quality there and the money they have to spend, so what I’d say to them is be patient and wherever you’re playing, whether it be on loan or in the reserves, keep going and you’ll get your chance.”

Townsend was certainly determined, as he accepted nine loan spells to try to prove to Spurs he could, eventually, make an impression for them.

His persistence has been rewarded. Townsend is now one of the most exciting players in the country, as his ability to carry the ball and change direction at great pace has worried every full-back he has faced.

After the win at Aston Villa last month, Jan Vertonghen said Townsend could become as influential as Gareth Bale, who joined Real Madrid last ­summer for a world-record ­£86million. Understandably, Townsend is wary of such comparisons but explained the role the Welshman played in his development.

“I have to keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully, one day, I can be up there with the likes of Gareth Bale,” Townsend said. “Growing up, I was lucky to be in squads with players like Bale and Lennon.

Support: the winger has defended the quality of young English players
“They’re old-fashioned wingers and players I wanted to be like, so even when I was left out of a matchday squad, I got to watch them and it was great for me to learn from them.

“When I was given the chance, I tried to take what I saw in their games and add it to mine, when I was playing in the Under-21s or when I was on loan. While it was a negative not to be playing, it was a plus point to watch such good wingers and learn from them.

“I’ve always liked watching Ryan Giggs, too. When playing wide he liked to dribble, make things happen, get crosses in and score goals, so he was my main inspiration. That he’s still going know shows he’s a fantastic professional.”

Giggs, of course, never had the chance to play in the World Cup finals; in seven months’ time, Townsend should achieve what the Manchester United player could not in a career spanning three decades.

Townsend’s sparkling displays on his first two senior appearances for his country — the decisive qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland last month — earned him widespread attention. The ‘space monkey’ remark from Roy Hodgson, which landed the England manager in hot water, is a matter Townsend would not discuss further, after he absolved Hodgson from blame via Twitter soon after the incident.

Townsend was more interested in defending the quality of young English players. The standard of this country’s youth has been compared unfavourably with those of other nations, something Townsend believes is unfair and inaccurate.

“I don’t agree with people who say there isn’t enough coming through. It’s just a question of giving them a chance to perform at the highest level.

“At Spurs, too, there are players like Harry Kane, who did well when he came on against Hull in the Capital One Cup, and Tom Carroll. He is on loan at QPR but whenever he’s played for Spurs, he’s been one of the better players.

“Without a doubt, they can follow the same path as me. Roy Hodgson has spoken very highly of Tom, and he and Harry can reach the senior England side. If I can be an inspiration to them, that’s fantastic.”

Andros Townsend led a squad of fans in a Call of Duty: Ghosts tournament at the IndigO2 for one of the biggest entertainment launches of the year. Call of Duty: Ghosts is out now across Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PC, PS4 and is out on November 15 on Xbox One. Fans can watch all the action from the launch night at callofdutytime.com